Method of treating pile fabrics



June 14, 1938. A. w. DROBILE 2,120,301

METHODOF TREATING FILE FABRICS Original Filed March '7, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY.

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June 14 1938. A. w. DROBILE METHOD OF TREATING FILE FABRICS- Original Filed March '7, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

Patented June 14, 1938 um'rso srArss 2,120,801 7 mrrnon or raaarma mm FABRICS Albert W. Drobile, line a Aikman Wayne, 1''... assitncr to 001- Corporation, Philadelphia, ta,

a corporation of Delaware Original application 433,907. Divided and ber 26, 1934, Serial N0.

August 12, 1930 6 Claims.

My invention is designed to provide a method of applying an adherent coating to the backing of a pile fabric so as to form a thin water insoluble film which penetrates the interstices and pores of the backing and pile fibres to strengthen and prevent raveling oi the backing and firmly anchor the pile.

My improvements are particularly applicable to the coating of pile fabrics woven with a backing containing a subnormal number of weft threads and having pile, thread, so loosely enmeshed in the backing as to be unsuitable for dyeing, finishing or use in the condition in which woven, and the application to such fabrics of an aqueous dispersion of rubber solidiflable on the fabric by heat.

In the preferred practice of my improvements, the loosely woven pile fabric is coated while suspended from card clothing rollers which support the pile face without displacing the pile from the backing and the coating is confined and swirled adjacent to the point of application of the backing, and thereby caused to better'pene- V trate the fabric, which may, if desired, be humidifled or moistened to render it more absorbent and increase the capillary action of the fibres. Any loose pile fibres resulting from cutting, passage through the humidifier or from other causes, may be evacuated from the backing, and the loops of the pile are preferably pressed firmly into position against the weft threads immediately before application of the coating and while the fabric is suspended between the card clothing .rollers. My improvements further provide for nicely regulating the thickness of the applied coat and for facilitating solidification and vulcanization of the coating on the fabric during the passage thereof through a drier to which it is delivered from the coating mechanism.

The characteristic features and advantages of my improvements will further appear from the following description and the accompanying drawings of apparatus shown in my copending application Serial No. 433,907 suitable for the practice of my method of which application the present application is a division.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of apparatus suitable for the practice of my method; Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of the coating apparatus shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a. longitudinal sectional view on an enlarged scale of the coating apparatus; Fig. 3a is an enlarged side elevation of a blade by which the coating may be applied to the fabric backing and caused looped over each weft much r, 1930, Serial No.

this application Novem- 75431'1. In Canada I to permeate the same; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged end elevation of the coating apparatus.

In accordance with my invention, the fabric to be treated, preferably consisting of a loosely woven pile fabric, is translated in a continuous 5 operation through steps which first prepare the fabric for coating, then coat the fabric, and then solidify the coating, the several steps being taken in synchronous relation.

- In the practice commercially of my method there may be conveniently utilized the machine illustrated in the drawings and comprising a frame i having fixed thereto a bracket 2 in which there are journalled rollers 3, 4, 5 and 6. A steam box or humidifier I is also mounted upon 15 the bracket 2 and supplied with steam through a perforated tube 8 surrounded by a perforated cylinder 9.

In the practice of my method, a loosely woven pile fabric A may be passed over the rollers3, I and 5, and into the humidifier through the slot I0 where it is moistened by steam emitted from the pipe 8 and cylinder 9 and passes fromthe humidifier through the slot H. The engagement of the back of the fabric with rollers 3, 4 and 5 prevents dislodgement of the pile and tends to properly position it in the backing, and the .moistening of the fabric in the humidifier increases the capillarity and absorption of the fibres.

Fabric passing from the humidifier passes over the rotatable roller 6 and under the rotatable roller l2, which hold the fabric taut during brushing of the backing and pile loops thereof by a rotary brush i3. Any loose pile projecting from the backing of the fabric A is swept by the brush I3 into a receptacle l4.

The brushed fabric is held by the roller l2 against a card clothing roller i5 having wires or teeth I! projecting therefrom in counterclockwise direction. The wires or teeth I! support the backing away from the face of the roller ii, the wires or teeth being of suitable length to receive the pile threads anfong them so as to avoid any pressure on the tips of the pile tending to displace the pile loops from the backing. The rotation of theroller i5 is retarded by a brake 1 band it secured to anchorages l! and passing around drums i5" fixed to the shaft of the roller ii. The opposite ends of the brake band are connected by links is to fulcrumed notched levers is from which weights to are suspended on hangers 2!. The drag on the roller I! may be varied by changing the number or weights of the 55 disks 28 or the position of the hangers 2| on the levers l8. a

A card clothingroller 22, complementary to the roller I5, is journalled in the frame I and has its teeth or wires 22' projected therefrom in a clockwise direction, the length of such teeth or wires being properly proportioned to house between them the free ends of the pile and support the backing on the fabric A. The roller 22 is revolved in a clockwise direction through a sprocket 23 which is made loose or fast to the shaft of the rollert22 by a clutch 28'. A sprocket chain 24 operatively connects the sprocket 23 with a sprocket 25,' and the tension of the sprocket chain may be regulated by means of an idler 26. A sprocket 27 is fixed to the opposite end of the shaft of the roller 22 and is connected by a sprocket chain 28 with a sprocket wheel 29 on the shaft of the brush i3 to rotate the latter. A polished cylinder presser 30 is fixed to the frame adjacent to the card clothing roller I5 and both holds the fabric in contact with such roller and presses into close contact with the backing any pile loops disturbed by the passage J of the card clothing roller IS, The fabric is held in engagement with the card clothing roller 22 by the revoluble rollers 3| and 32.

A supply reservoir 35 is mounted between the card clothing rollers l5 and 22 and is provided with a series of valved outlets 35 through which the coating is discharged and fiows down an inclined hinged plate 3'! to the blade 38,adjustably fixed to the tank'frame by the bolts 39. The bottom of the blade contains an arcuate groove 38a forming a lip 38b and a narrow edge 38c lies between the arcuate groove 38a and the bevel 38d.

The blade edge 38c bears against the fabric backing and applies additional tension thereto to place the fabric in suitable condition for the application of the coating fluid which flows from the hinged plate 31 down the face of the blade 88. The excess coating is scraped or wiped by the edge 38c and forms a species of wave which is'confined in the groove 38a by the downward projection of the lip 38b, and the swirling action resulting from such confinement and the movement of the fabric forces the coating fluid into the interstices and pores of the fabric.

The tension applied to the fabric and the permeation of the coating thereinto may be regulated by the vertical and angular adjustment of the reservoir and blade unit which is Journalled by trunnions 48 in vertically movable bearings 4| which are yertically adjustable by means of the screws 42 fixed thereto and threaded in wormwheels, or nuts 43 journalled in the bearings 44. The peripheral teeth of the wormwheels 43 mesh with worms '45 on a shaft 48 rotatable by the handwheel 41.

. A scale and pointer 48 indicate the vertical movement of the reservoir and blade and a scale and pointer 48 indicate the angular movement thereof.

The excess coating deposited on the fabric and deflected therefrom by the blade 88 is discharged into a drip pan 50 from which it may be discharged through a pipe 5i into a pail for return to the storage tank 53 which discharges through the valved pipe 84 to the supply reservoir 85.

The coated fabric passes from the roll 32 over the card clothing roller 15 having wires 'or teeth 18 projecting from the periphery thereof in a. clockwise direction. The teeth l6 are of suflicient length to house the pile threads between them and support the fabric.

The fabric passes from the roller 15 to pin chains 18a, which engage the selvages of the fabric and carry it in a circuitous route over the rollers 1! of the enclosed dryer IS. The driving shaft 18 of the dryer is connected through the beveled gears 88, shaft 8|, beveled gears 82, shaft 83, beveled gears 84, and shaft 85 with the sprocket 25, so that the dryer conveyor and coating mechanism are operated in synchronism.

It will be understood that, in the practice of my invention, the'loosely woven pile fabric formed by splitting the pile of a double plush fabric may be conditioned for coating by passage through the humidifier I wherein the backing is dampened without substantially moistening the out pile face of the fabric, so that the capillarity of the backing fibres and pile loops is increased disproportionately to the capillarity of the pile tips.

The moistening of the fibres is of particular ad-' vantage where the backing is composed of cotton yarns. the brush I3. The fabric is translated by the rollers I5 and 22 beneath the presser bar 30 and blade 38. The action of the presser bar 30 tends to firmly seat the pile loops against the backing wefts, and as the fabric passes beneath the blade 38 it is supplied with an even coating which is caused to uniformly permeate it by the pressure and swirling action resulting from the contour of the arcuate channel 38a. By adjusting the vertical and angular position of the blade Projecting pile loops may be removed by by the means described, the tension of the cloth and the degree of penetration of the coating may be regulated. The coated fabric passes under the roller 3|, over the card clothing roller 22, under the roller 32, and over the card clothing roller to the pin chain ofthe dryer by which the coating is coagulated and vulcanized to solidify it into a thin film which firmly anchors the pile threads, and reinforces and prevents raveling of the fabric. V

My method is particularly adapted for coating with an aqueous dispersion of rubber, either in the form of natural latex or in the form of an artificial dispersion of rubber. Such aqueous rubber dispersions may have mixed therewith suitable vulcanizers, accelerators and fillers. Such compounds are frequently of a somewhat unstable character, but my improvements permit the use thereof without deleterious effects thereon or upon the loosely woven fabric, which is being treated. g

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that in accordance with my improved method a pile fabric having a loosely woven ground may have pile tufts which are looped therein securely attached thereto by forcing into and solidifying in the ground while the tips of the pile tufts are free from counter-pressure tending to displace them, an aqueous material containing a solidifiable substance, such material being preferably first spread as a layer of low viscosity liquid prior to theapplication thereof to the back of the ground and such applied layer being forced into the ground by pressure so that the free excess on the surface of the ground may be removed or scraped off and the impregnating material being Having described my invention, 1 clair'n-' i. In the manufacture of pile fabric having pile tufts looped over the wefts of a backing, the steps which iri lude forming a layer of substantially uniform" thickness of a low viscosity aqueous binder material prior to the application of such material to the fabric, applying such preformed layer of aqueous binder material to a concavely bent surface section of a freely suspended taut section of said fabric, forcing a pertion of said binder material into said back, scrap ing off the free excess on the surface of the ground, and. solidifying the binder material in the back.

2. In the manufacture'of pile fabrics, the steps which include humidifying the back of the pile fabric, removing dislodged pile from the back of the fabric, supporting said fabrics in two places on its face side without exerting pressure on the pile, applying a coating material between the two supports and applying pressure to the back of the fabric at a point between a support and the point of application of the binder to reposition any partly dislodged pile tufts.

3. In the manufacture of pile fabrics, the steps which include translating a fabric face downward below a supply of impregnating material, supplying said impregnating material uniformly to the back of the fabric, then swirling the impregnating material within a confined area so that penetration of the impregnating material is affected by the downward driving force built up as a result of the swirling.

i. In the manufacture of loosely woven pile fabric, the steps which include supporting and translating a fabric downward below a supply of impregnating material to m applied to said fabric, applying the impregnating material imiformly to the baclr across the width of the fabric, swirling said impregnating material within a confined area so that said impregnating material has a substantially vertical and. downward direction and pressure, removing excess binding material from the bacl: of the fabricand wiping the tips of the pile bights to make them substantially devoid of impregnating material.

5. The method of impregnating the backing of a woven cut pile fabric having pile tufts looped over wefts and'loosely enmeshed in the backing which comprises supporting the pile fabric on its pile face side without exerting a compressive force on the ends of the cut pile and depositing an impregnating material on. the backing between the supporting positions.

6. The method of impregnating the backing of a pile fabric which comprises humidifying the backing of the fabric disproportionately to 

